Marian's Hunting Stories, etc., etc., etc...

Stories of my hunting experiences with family, friends or whatever else I want to blog about.

A Dixie Lady Deer Hunter

Article by Fred Messina, editor of "On Target Outdoors" from The Vicksburg Evening Post on Friday, January 19, 1990. Photo by Bob Phillips.

Bob Phillips came up the other day with a photo of his wife Marian and a deer she got on Brown's Point New Years Eve. The deer was an 8-point with 16 inches of inside spread that weighed in at 190 pounds. A nice trophy in anyone's book. However, the tale Bob told is that this was Marian's fourth deer this year and he claimed that he would have done better than he did if he had not spent so much time hauling Marian's deer out of the woods. Come off it, Bob. We all know who the hunter was.

Monday, June 27, 2016

This bear here is a photo by The Vicksburg Police Department, has been spotted a number of times Sunday afternoon near downtown Vicksburg and the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Vicksburg and Warren County authorities asking residents in downtown Vicksburg and those around the Vicksburg National Military Park to be aware of a bear who appears to "be out on a stroll."

As early as 11:00 a.m. Sunday, authorities with the Vicksburg Police Department, Warren Count Sheriffs Department and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks were out tracking the movements of a bear through portions of downtown Vicksburg.

"He does not appear to be aggressive and he doesn't appear to be in any kind of a hurry." Vicksburg Police Walter Armstrong said Sunday afternoon. "He just seems to be out on a stroll.

Armstrong said one of the sighting had the bear near the area of Alcorn Street and East Main Street in downtown Vicksburg. The bear was apparently heading north in the direction of the park.

Vicksburg May George Flaggs said a sighting of a bear in downtown Vicksburg is not very common.

"We are accustomed to having bear sightings on the north side of the city, but never this far into town," Flaggs said. "This is highly unusual."

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said he and other officials have seen the bear multiple times throughout the morning and afternoon and the bear just seems to be "moving along."

"We have seen him a number of times and he has been on the move the entire time," Pace said. "In fact, he has crossed several main thoroughfares through his walk through Vicksburg. The last spotting had him moving back in the general direction of the north city limits near the military park."

Officials have urged residents to not approach the bear, but if you see it, you are asked to leave the bear alone, move indoors and call 911.

While the sighting of a black bear in downtown Vicksburg is unusual, seeing bears this time of year is not.

According to Richard Rummel, the black bear biologist with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, there are three factors, or reasons, why seeing a black bear this time of year is more common.

"Right now, the natural foods they enjoy are just coming out," Rummel said, saying that bears look for blackberries, blueberries and other fruits that are just now available. "For most of the year so far, they have eaten grass and other vegetation, so they are just looking for an easy meal."

Rummel said this is also the time of year that bears breed and that cubs born in January 2015 are now old enough to be "Kicked out of the house" by the mothers and are starting to roam.

"There are a lot of sightings this time of the year because it is just a perfect storm of factors," Rummel said. "In this case, the bear is acting just like a bear should act."

Docile and shy by nature, Rummel did urge residents to keep their distance from a bear so that it doesn't feel cornered or threatened.

Residents are asked to keep their garbage secured and pick up any pet foot that might be left on patios or porches.

"Black bears have an incredible sense of smell and memory," Rummel said. "If they find some food left out one night, there's a chance they will come back the next night and so on."

He also suggested that bears, again looking for an easy meal, will look for any fruit that might have fallen from trees in yards.

"If you have a fruit tree in your yard, try to pick up any of the fruit that has fallen on the ground." Rummel said. "It doesn't matter to the bear how ripe or rancid the fruit is, they will be attracted to the smell of it."

In the end, Rummel again asked anyone who comes up on the bear, or sees the bear, to simply leave it along.

"From what we have heard, this bear is just passing through," Rummel said. "Leave it alone and let it go where it was going."

Sunday, June 26, 2016

A new Miss Mississippi was crowned in my hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi last night at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Miss Dixie Laura Lee Lewis is the 2016 Miss Mississippi. She was also crowned Miss Mississippi's Outstanding Teen in 2009, was also named second runner-up in the Miss Mississippi in 2013, first runner-up in 2014 and second runner-up again in 2015.

"They say third time is the charm, but I guess in my case it's the fourth."

Winning the title of Miss Mississippi is just the beginning, Lewis said. The 23-year-old Brookhaven native already has her eye on the bigger crown.

"We are going to Miss America. We are going to Atlantic City and bring home the Miss America crown. It is time to bring it home; back to where it belongs, so it is my mission to not only represent Mississippi well at Miss American, but to make an impact on our nation by telling people they're valued and loved in a time when we really need it most," Lewis said.

For the talent phase of the competition, Lewis performed a vocal arrangement of Barbara Streisand's "A Piece of Sky."

Along with the Miss Mississippi title and crown, Lewis receives a $10,000 scholarship.

Miss Turtle Creek Anne Elizabeth Buys of Vicksburg was named first runner up and was awarded a $7,500 scholarship; Miss Amory Molly May of Houston was second and was awarded $5,000; Miss Tombigbee Holly Harrington of Tupelo was third and was awarded $2,500; and Miss Deep River Mia Hall of Meridian was fourth and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

My Facebook friend, Mike Persichini, loves to take pictures of his deer friends in our wild and wonderful outdoors. He's lucky to have a place at home and in the woods to do so. Here are some I'm sharing with you to enjoy with his endorsement.

He is 3 inches past his ears now which should mean at least 24 inches wide!!

It's time for passengers to board and leave Vicksburg after a day of enjoying our civil war town of hallowed ground.

It's just enough room to squeeze in!

Taken by my Facebook friend, Joyce Morrell Shinn, who was dining at 10 South Rooftop Bar and Grill. She got this awesome shot of the American Queen moored in the Yazoo Diversion Canal with Lake Centennial in the background.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Steve Cooper wants everyone to congratulate Cooper's very first hog in our great wild outdoors! I'm very proud of him. I was 74 years old before I got my first one, actually two at one time. Steve is prostaff for Watson Air Lock. My congrats on your hog, Cooper! Way to go!

Monday, June 20, 2016

It's hard to believe that my first granddaughter is 32 years old today! Seems like yesterday she was born. I'm so proud of you Sonya Michelle and wishing you a very Happy 32nd Birthday! With all my love! Gran Gran

Sunday, June 19, 2016

I was invited to a Sunday brunch today by a friend that I used to work with at the Corps of Engineers. It was so delightful to see her again and we had a lot of catching up to do while we enjoyed our meal together.

Anchucais a Choctaw Indian word meaning "happy home," and is one of the most significant antebellum homes and the first historical Bed & Breakfasts in my hometown of Vicksburg, MS.

A Greek-Revival mansion that was built in 1830 by J. W. Mauldin and was standing during the Civil War and was converted into a make-shift hospital and said that some of the men who suffered and died there are stilling hanging around.

Anchuca

Built in three stages from 1830 to 1855, this Greek Revival style mansion was originally built by J. W. Mauldin and sold to Victor Wilson in 1840. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Anchuca was Vicksburg's first antebellum residence to open as a tour home.

The Carriage House

Walking to the back entrance of Cafe Anchuca.

Love the hand-made brick walkway.

The owner, Tom Pharr, greeted me in the courtyard.

The bathroom door!

Some pictures I took while waiting for my friend to arrive.

Owners bobtail cat relaxing in the courtyard.

My friend, Mary Louise Nosser, who's retired now, works part time at Anchuca and wears an antebellum gown while greeting the tourists off the American Queen, America, American Eagle and Queen of Mississippi riverboats and/or guests. She has also been a tour guide for the Vicksburg National Military Park.

A lovely couple from Dallas, TX, staying at Anchuca, took our picture together.

About Me

I am 76 years young and live high on the bluffs of a historical civil war town of Vicksburg, MS. I was born and raised here and attended St. Francis Xavier Academy, graduating in the Class of 1959. I started my government career at the Vicksburg District, USACE. I retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station with 25 years service in September '95. I'm a proud mother of 4 daughters, 6 granddaughters, 3 grandsons and 2 great-grandsons, I have deer hunted for 32 years now and in the last 7 years hunted wild hogs. I look forward to hunting and fishing in our great Mississippi outdoors!

I was contacted recently by Kate Schumer who is the Content Coordinator at Priority One Jets . She asked me if I would like to post their...

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